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Hyndburn's Community-Owned Environmental Charity

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Seed Bomb Making at Bullough Park

Posted on Posted in Biodiversity, Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News

Seed Bomb Making

On the 19th of November the Green Spaces Team were at Bullough park hosting a seed bomb making event. We had our Prospects marquee set up with tables containing mixing bowls of seeds and air-drying clay. The seeds we used were all native wildflower seeds which were; Corncockle, Cornflower, Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, and Common Poppy. The seeds were pressed into the clay which was then rolled into a ball, this would harden and then it could be thrown onto a bare patch of soil and would 'explode', spreading the seeds afar.

Participants made seed bombs for their own garden or area of their choice and were given the option to make some for us, and we're grateful that everyone did! The seed bombs made for us were stored to be used later in the creation of two wildflower meadows, one at Bullough park and another at Jubilee woodlands. These areas had been cut previously to remove nutrients from the soil which will promote the growth of the wildflower meadow. The wildflower meadows will promote pollinator, butterfly, and insect diversity which in turn will promote bird and bat diversity.

Prospects would like to thank everyone who came along to the event and assisted us in the creation of these vital habitats.

We would also like to thank our funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support in this endeavor.

 

Dry stone Walling – Hollins woods

Posted on Posted in Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News

Dry stone Walling - Hollins woods

Between the 11-12th November the Green Spaces Team participated in a dry stone walling course led by Louise Kirkbridge, the course took place in Hollins woods on a section of drystone wall that had fell into disrepair. The wall was first dismantled down to the foundations and the stones laid out according to size, guide lines were created to ensure the original width of the wall was kept. Instructions and demonstrations were then given by Louise on how to safely lay stones to create a solid structure. After two days of walling the section we worked on had been fully re-erected, looked more aesthetically pleasing, and was a lot more stable.

We would like to thank Louise Kirkbridge for providing the excellent training programme, it was an amazing two days and we all learnt a lot about a valuable skill that is part of the cultural landscape.

We would also like to thank our funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for providing the means for Prospects to host events like these.

Introduction to Green Woodwork October half term 2022

Posted on Posted in Huncoat East Woodland, Hyndburns Woodlands, News

PROSPECTS delivered an Introduction to Green Woodworking at Huncoat East woodland.

The course involved learning about green woodworking tools, using these tools to make a mallet and spatulas from Norwegian Maple and Hazel wood which was felled as part of PROSPECTS woodland management work programme.

Woody CIC Volunteer Mark was on hand to demonstrate pole lathing with participants having a go!

Thanks to The Heritage Lottery Fund for making this workshop possible through their generous funding of the Habitats & Heritage – Hyndburn’s Woodlands project.

Below is some feedback from the participants:

This has been a fantastic opportunity to learn about Green woodworking. It was so much fun. The staff were so welcoming and helpful. I would definately attend another woodworking event.

be good to see further projects added like small stools, maybe spoons and shrink pots ?

Love to do more construction projects using green woodworking techniques.

Crafting Club October Half Term 2022

Posted on Posted in Green Mentor, News, Rewilding Hyndburn's Green Spaces

PROSPECTS delivered an Autumn Themed Crafting Club at GrOwING WILD Community Alloment, Baxenden during the October half term.

Participants looked at Autumn tree and plant identification signs, made an autumnal bean stew and whittled some mushrooms from hazel and birch wood!

One participant gave the following feedback:

“It was a fantastic day. Everyone seemed to enjoy. My granddaughter and I certainly did. It was educational and good fun.”

Thinning of Larch (Larix) on Peel Park and the Coppice LNR

Posted on Posted in HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News

Larch trees were planted in the new woodlands on Peel Park and the Coppice LNR by Lancashire County Council and Hyndburn Borough Council during the 1970s-90s. The tree is not a native British species as it was introduced 400 years ago for it’s fast-growing timber. The trees themselves are hybrids of two different species from mainland Europe and Asia, the European Larch (Larix decidua) and Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi).

Although they aren’t native, they are still an ecologically useful tree species. heir primary functions on the site were to reduce soil erosion on the slopes and to act as ‘nurse’ species for the oak trees that were also planted in the red and yellow areas shown on the map. The larches grow faster and so act as barriers which served to shelter the young, small, oak saplings. Now that the oak trees are big enough to support themselves, the larches surrounding them aren’t needed as much. The gaps left by the felled larches will leave room for the oak trees to grow larger and flourish. This is a positive management method known as ‘halo’ thinning.

To increase the presence of native, broad-leaved, tree species, there will be selective thinning of larches in two areas. This will start with the plantation of larches in the red area, before moving to the yellow area.

Both areas will be thinned over the course of 6 day-long sessions. Around 35 trees are expected to be removed from each area. This will cause little to no harm to wildlife as there will still be many larches left on-site and the subsequent growth of native oaks will improve the habitat value of the woodland.

Access to the rest of the site will still be available but visitors will not be allowed to use paths near the felling on working days. Signage and workers will be present to redirect visitors.

The thinning took place on the 21st and 28th October, and the 4th, 11th and 18th November 2022. There was a final session on the 25th November 2022.

The felled timber will go back into the site; the wood will be used for benches, leaky dams, and habitat boxes. Branches and smaller timber will be used to create brash bundles and habitat piles. Some tree-planting of smaller tree species like Holly and Hazel may take place to fill in any large gaps left by the felled larches.

If you would like to know more and/or get involved in conservation work this autumn and winter, then contact Robert at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

Path and Bridge Construction – Civil Works on Pleck Meadow and Arden Hall

Posted on Posted in HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News

 

Following the positive results of a consultation in June 2022, plans for a path from Arden Hall up to Pleck Meadow are now being finalized.

The path, indicated by the yellow route on the map, will have two entrances. One at Arden Hall and the other on Pinewood Drive. The rest of the path will follow the purple route which includes a bridge over Pleck Brook and will end at Pleck Meadow.

The purple route, “Option 2,” was preferred over the orange route, “Option 1,” in the consultation so the orange route will not be constructed.

Civil works are planned to start on the 24th October 2022 and will last for a few months.

As a result, access to the site from Arden Hall will be more limited till the works are over. Signage will be in place to redirect visitors. Please keep your dog on a lead near the affected areas. The entrances at Avenue Parade and Peel Park Avenue will be unaffected.

The construction will cause little to no disturbance to local wildlife. The path will increase accessibility to Peel Park and the Coppice LNR and will also benefit future conservation activities such as scything courses, survey training and species transects.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved in future conservation activities, then contact robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

 

Cutting, Raking and Seed Sowing – Pocket Park

Posted on Posted in Biodiversity, Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News

Cutting, Raking and Seed Sowing - Pocket Park

On the 14th October the Green Spaces Team collaborated with the SuperSlowWay project to assist in the creation of a wildflower meadow at the Pocket Park in Accrington. The Green Team used both traditional scything methods and strimmers to clear the area of vegetation, cuttings were then raked off the land to remove as many nutrients as possible. The area needed to be cleared first due to wildflowers requiring low nutrient soil in order to thrive. Once the area had been cleared we created bare patches of soil which yellow rattle seeds were then spread onto and then covered with a thin layer of soil to be ready for spring. A variety of bulb species were also planted by Prospects staff and children from The Hollins School using seed dibbers.

We would like to thank SuperSlowWay for having us as part of the project, it was fantastic to get involved with and we look forward to seeing the Pocket Parks progression.

As always, thank you to our funders for facilitating the work that we do.

Scything and Tidying – Woodnook Vale

Posted on Posted in Get Involved, Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News

Scything and Litter Pick Woodnook Vale

On the 27th September the Green Spaces volunteers were at Woodnook Vale, at the Nuttall street entrance, where the area adjacent to the path and the verges along the path were overgrown with brambles and nettles which reduced visibility and made access more difficult.

To remedy this the team used traditional scything techniques to cut the area back and rake off the cuttings. The team also did a litter pick before and during the cutting to remove any previously hidden rubbish. The edges along the wall were also snipped back to make it look more tidy.

Prospects would like to thank all our volunteers for their hard work.

We would also like to thank our funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support.

 

 

Scything Course – Milnshaw Park

Posted on Posted in Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News

Scything Course - Milnshaw Park

On the 21st September Prospects' staff and the Green Team Volunteers took part in a scything course delivered by Steve Tomlin.

During the course, participants were taught about all the different components of a scythe, how to hone the blade with a whetstone and how to correctly set them up for an efficient cut. Once the scythes were set up the participants headed to Milnshaw park for a demonstration on traditional scything techniques and then gave it a go themselves. The participants worked in rows scything the wildflower meadow to promote new growth while some of Prospects staff raked away the cuttings.

The course was fantastic and everyone learnt a lot about traditional scything skills that has benefited the green spaces around Hyndburn, where it has been applied in plenty.

Prospects would like to thank everyone who came along to the session, and to Steve Tomlin for delivering such a well structured course. We would also like to thank our funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for providing us with the necessary resources to organise this event.

Freshers Fair – Accrington and Rossendale

Posted on Posted in Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News, Schools and Community Conservation

Freshers Fair - Accrington and Rossendale

On the 13th September Prospects’ Green Spaces Team and the Peel Park Officer attended the Accrington and Rossendale College’s Freshers Fair where we held a stall. Our stall aimed to inform future college students about the various work done by Prospects and to gauge their interest in the environmental sector. We are pleased to report that 40 prospective students visited our stall and expressed an interest in conservation!

Our stall contained all the information about activities, volunteering, and the work done by prospects needed to inspire young people who are interested in the environmental sector. We also created a Climate Pledge Tree using material from our sites, here students could write their eco-pledge onto ‘tree cookies’ and hang them from the tree. The pledge tree stayed at the college in the reception to remind students of their commitments.

It was a great day and it was heartening to see so many students taking a keen interest in their local environment

We would like to thank Accrington and Rossendale College for hosting us and the students who visited our stall.

As always, thank you to our funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this all possible.

Ash Dieback Works this Winter

Posted on Posted in Hyndburns Woodlands, News

PROSPECTS and our friends at Woody Hyndburn CIC will be undertaking Ash tree felling works over the winter months.

Ash Dieback is a particular problem in the borough, many trees are affected and can become dangerous as the disease progresses and the trees become weaker.

As part of PROSPECTS management strategy across the Hyndburn’s Woodlands sites staff and Volunteers will be felling affected trees to ensure the safety of those who enjoy the woods. As always the top priority of Lancashire County Council is the safety of the public with preventative felling appearing to be the most effective means of addressing the issue.

Ash Dieback surveys have been undertaken to identify and mark the trees which will be felled. The resultant timber and brash will be processed on site to increase the percentage of dead wood on site, providing habitat for invertebrates, fungi and everything else! The Survey maps can be found on the individual woodland sites.

As part of PROSPECTS on going environmental education efforts, John Haddon from Lancashire Wildlife Trust delivered a day of training for PROSPECTS staff and volunteers outlining the Trust’s strategy for dealing with the issue.

Natural regeneration of native tree species will take priority over planting, with Ash being effective at self seeding with Ash Dieback resistant individuals hopefully regenerating those woodlands which will be affected.

More information about Ash Dieback can be found on the following websites:

    Woodland Trust:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/tree-pests-and-diseases/key-tree-pests-and-diseases/ash-dieback/

    Lancashire County Council

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/environmental/ash-die-back/

    Government Website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/managing-ash-dieback-in-england

Hyndburn’s Woodland Update

Posted on Posted in News

Woodland Volunteers have been busy throughout the Summer months working across the 8 Lancashire County Council woodland sites, which PROSPECTS manages on the Council’s behalf.

The majority of the work has been Balsam pulling, but there has also been non-native tree thinning, litter picking and meadow management using scythes!

As the nights draw in and the days get colder and wet the Woodland Volunteers will be undertaking winter task in the woods. This will include felling Ash Dieback effected trees, cutting back greenery encroaching on pathways, litter picking, coppicing and hedge laying.

Hyndburn’s Woodlands will also be delivering an Introduction to Green Woodwork day, spoon carving day and working with the Green Team to deliver seasonal tree identification walks.

Check our online events page or sign up to our emailing list to receive updates and a monthly ‘What’s On’ e-Newsletter.

Rewilding Update

Posted on Posted in News

The Rewilding project has been busy growing vegetable, fruit and herbs across the four community sites; Growing Wild Community Allotment, Miller Fold Allotment 6a, Oakhill Park Incredible Edible Garden and Woodnook Community Garden.

Produce was used for Crafting Club 2022 with vegetables from the site being used to make vegetarian and gluten free campfire cooked dishes!

Apples were used for fruit juice pressing and soft fruit including raspberries, blackberries and currants being used to make jam and fruit leather!

Some of the produce has been frozen with a Jam and Chutney making activity to be arranged for the cold winter months, so keeping checking the Events page for more details or sign up to the emailing list to receive updates.

Crafting Club Summer 2022

Posted on Posted in News

Crafting Club Summer 2022 was a great success with over 30 participants taking part in a variety of bushcraft themed activities!

Activities included; Campfire Cooking, whittling, natural cordage, natural dyes, fruit juice pressing, wild food and much more!

PROSPECTS is forever grateful to the Ashden Trust for the funding, which made Crafting Club Summer 2022 happen. For more information about the Ashden Trust click HERE

Look out for further bushcraft activities in the future, below is feedback from some of the participants!

Fantastic experience for all the family. Thank you so much for the opportunity to take part in such a great community session.

The whole month was amazing and so well organised. The children and myself learnt about tree ID, outdoor cooking, whittling, natural dying and much much more. They also became more confident with foraging too. We didn’t want it to end.

I would like to thank Gareth and his team, for making my son and me, feel so welcome at the Crafting club. It was full of positive energy and so much fun; making it the perfect environment to learn something new.

Thanks for running these sessions, we always learn something new.

Really well organised events with knowledgeable, patient, helpful people. Thank you

The sessions was very good. My son was engaged and was learning whilst having fun.

This and other prospects courses are extremely well run. We have been to a few and find them engaging and the staff are inviting, interesting and make it a joy to be there. This activity in particular helped whole families become involved and had a variety of activities to get stuck into so that everyone had something that they were interested in.

Invasive Non-Native Species – Himalayan Balsam

Posted on Posted in Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News

WANT TO JOIN A BALSAM BASHING SESSION? CHECK OUT OUR EVENTS PAGE.

Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is an Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), it originates from the western and central Himalayas and was first brought over to the UK in 1839 as an ornamental plant to decorate Victorian gardens

Shortly after it quickly spread to a wide range of habitats, particularly along riverbanks and in damp woodlands (Tanner and Gange., 2020).

Balsam flowers from June to October, and its seeds are set from August to October. Each plant is able to produce up to 2500 seeds which sit inside explosive seed pods and, when disturbed, are capable of distributing the seeds up to 7 metres away! (Sonal et al., 2016).

It grows in dense monocultures (a large amount of a singular plant, like crops on a farm) which outcompete native vegetation leading to a decline in native plant and insect populations (Pollard et al., 2019)

As it’s an annual plant, once it dies back in autumn this leads to a bare river bank (which would normally be covered with native plants) and so there are no roots which bind the soil together during heavy rain, this leads to soil erosion.

While Balsam is a good source of pollen for pollinators, studies show it can alter the foraging preferences in bee species which results in bees focusing their attention on Balsam and neglecting native species (Lopezaraiza et al., 2008).

Balsam is one of the easiest INNS to remove, its shallow roots and noticeable characteristics make it easy to find and pull up. ‘Balsam bashing’ groups tend to organise around areas which are highly infested.

To remove Balsam:

  • Pull up the plant by grasping the stem as close to the root as possible (ensuring it does not snap, leaving the root in the soil)
  • Snap or crush the plant close to the root, at the lowest node (the bulge closest to the roots)
  • Hang the snapped plant on a tree branch or pile it up, this will dry it out and prevent it from re-rooting.
  • If hanging the plant, make sure not to overload the tree branches to prevent them snapping.
  • If it is not possible to hang the plant then pile it up on the ground, preferably on a surface where it cannot re-root and in a shallow pile so that it can dry out

Eco Conference – Blackburn Rovers Stadium

Posted on Posted in Green Mentor, Green Spaces 'Natural Connections', News, Raising Environmental Awareness, Schools and Community Conservation

Eco Conference - Blackburn Rovers Stadium

School Sustainability Conference

On the 23rd of June Prospects’ Green Team and Green Mentor projects collaborated at the Blackburn Rovers Stadium taking part in the School Sustainability Conference. The event aimed to raise awareness of environmental challenges among school children by offering relevant activities and learning opportunities. During the event over 100 children visited our stall and went home with their own terrarium!

Prospects hosted two main activities:

Our first activity was foil blanket making using old crisp packets, these were layered together and ironed along the seams to create a full blanket. These can be given to homeless people as emergency foil blankets. This aimed to teach the children how every day waste can be used to create something useful, be a fun activity, and can help the community.

The second activity was terrarium making using upcycled jars donated from the community which were filled with soil and various plants, rocks, twigs and mosses. This activity was planned and ran by Prospects trainee Brandon Cherry. The children could create and decorate their own terrarium and take them home to care for. Here we aimed to raise interest in plants and natural systems, the fully self-enclosed terrarium would maintain its own microclimate that the children could monitor, and watch grow. A special thank you to the funders at GreenRecoveryChallengeFund and National Lottery Heritage Fund for facilitating the purchasing of the plants from our local plant merchant, without this the activity wouldn’t have been possible.

The main stall also featured a lot of Prospects work around Hyndburn and showed examples of fun activities we have done in the past, like the wooden rigs used for willow weaving and plant pots made from eco-concrete.

Rewilding – Hyndburn Harvest

Posted on Posted in News, Rewilding Hyndburn's Green Spaces

Thanks to a generous donation by the Arnold Clarke Community Fund, PROSPECTS has purchased apple juicing equipment!
https://www.arnoldclark.com/community-fund

Our Rewilding Officer Gareth, will be organising several juice pressing activities from late August onwards. Check our Events Calendar to see when and where the sessions will be held – https://prospectsfoundation.org.uk/events/
We ask that participants bring a clean plastic bottle to store their juice.

If you have excess apples, which you would wish to donate, please contact Gareth – gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk / 01254 230348 to arrange for drop off at our office or collection by our staff.

(Please only donate ripe fruit which is in a suitable condition for human consumption)

Tree Planting at St. Oswalds Primary and Nursery School

Posted on Posted in News, Outdoor Learning

St. Oswalds Primary and Nursery school have been working closely with the Outdoor Learning Officer to design an outdoor learning area on their school grounds.  Thanks to a donation of trees from Carbon Footprint Ltd., the eco-council were able to break earth in November and begin planting the trees that will be the heart of the outdoor classroom.

Winter Bird Walk

Posted on Posted in Biodiversity, News, Outdoor Learning

Outdoor Learning Officer Danielle led a Winter Bird Walk around Peel Park and The Coppice.  We saw jays, robins, blackbirds, great tits, magpies, blue tits, long-tailed tits and greenfinches.  During the walk we discussed climate change and how changing weather patterns are affecting trees and migrating birds.

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